Rotary valve for internal-combustion engines



Jan. 25, 1949. R. H. HASLER 5? AL ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 sheets sneet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1948 wriamvr Jan. 25, 1949. R. H. HASLER ET AL ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan'. 15, 1948 Patented Jan. 25, 1949 :s alt-Ar as TENT DJF F1] C E FBZO'DARY VALVE FOREINEERNAL GOM- EBUSTION ENGINES Ream H. Hasler,

SteVena Oyster Bay, Hasler' Stevens "Corporation,

Old Westbury, :and Harry "P. N.Y., assignors "to The 'JMineola, N. Y., a

'Theinventi'on "herein ilisclosedirelates to en- 'tg'ines"of"theirotarvvalve' type such as coverediin 'Pa'tent No. "12491235 issuedltoTI-IarrvP. Stevens.

"The prese'nt improvements relate more particularlvtcthe lubricating means "for such engines of the nature disclosed in the 'cop'ending "patent applicationof Harry'P. 1' StevensfSerial' N0. "7-8'7',354=,filed "November 21,1947, inwhich the '1'otatir1'g'valve discs "are lubricated by pads "of 1tibricantwarryingmaterial' located to" engage the valve discsatpciritS rem'oved'from the .portscfin- *trolled "by such "discs.

Special *purposes "of the present invention "are to provide'efiicient "and. fullysatisfa'ctory means for automaticallyapnlying'proper' pressureo'f the *lubricating pads-against the rotating valve :discs.

"Special ob'iects'are "to assure that "such neces- -s-ary pressure will "continue"- and be maintained so --longwas"the*engine is in "operation.

Further special-objects of the invention are'to fifacilitate assembling and disassembling of the parts, and in particularto e'fiectanautomatic "retraction-of 'the*oiling'-pads, thus to locate'them "out of the waycf the valve structurein-the assem- "filin'g -anddisassembling opera'tiohs.

SpeGial obje'cts 6f the invention also I attalnthadbjects descr lbe'crwith a simpler form "of constructionand with fewer parts-than'were requiredbefore Another special object of the inventionis to :assure' uniform functioning'ofallthelubri'cating zzparts *in a =multi-cylintler engine.

Other 5 desirable ob-j ects attained by "the inveniction are *setfor'thonwill appear in the course "of Tithe following specification.

The izlrawing accompanying and forming part "of the specification illustrate a present-practical "'eniboiliment of the invention, but it is -to be understood that structure may be mddifiedan'd changed as -*regariis the immediate "illustration, elll within "the" trueihtent-*and'*broatl-scope "ofth'e invention as hereinafter clefine'cP'ari'cltiaimed.

Fig. 1 1 in the drawings is an enlarged broken wertical sectional viewof POi'tl'OHS o'f "a cylinder Y bioclc cover with 'a "rotary valve "operating t'herein an'tl having the lubricatingfeatures of'the "present inveritionincorp'oratetl, thisview showing the tops oftwo o'fthe engine cylinders and related 'valvestructure;

Fig. 2 is a "brokencross sectional "view as on are to 4 Claims. (0

,movedandinpositionlto be'lowered over the valve and cylinderblok assembly.

Therengine consists .in general of a crank case and crankshaft, and-a cylinder block and cover, with an-ove'rheadrotaryvalve having a shaft .journale'd ibetween' the block and cover.

Tin the drawings, thecylinder'blo'ck 2i! contains .'adjacent.cylindersjn'line, suc'h-asil and ZZ'With their respective engine r'iiStonsZl" and"22'. The c0ver-23 is bolted to .the block 25 bycmeansof "bolts such as2 4,"2"4, with; a water itight gasket 25 clamped i-between fthe two lmembers. 7 Coolin water spacessuch as 26,26, 26 andeafareshown.

The upper ends 'orhea'ds'of 'theicylindersz l and 22 are extendedisto'form, respectively,.the narrow ecmbustionfchambersifl :emd 28.

' ""'The "cylinder blockZ Elcontains semi-cylindrical spaces, such as.29,':and the coverfZfi contains comiilementaryspaces such as "3%, 'providing'cylim drical spaces or chambers when the matingmem- Qbersllland.23'areboltedtogether; I g Y "Thewalls. 6f"the'spacesinthablock are integral withthe'combustion'chamber wallsian'd'iorm'con- "t'lnuationstheredf These walls ;are also integral with half round b'ea'rmgs "such as3 I 31 The'walls 'of' tthe spaces "in the 'coverare ex- "tended to "formf'half' round bearings such as 32,

Whenthe "covenmem'ber 23L is'in place on the *blockZfl, f'all'th'e" half round." bearings form a row oficompletetbearingslfor the various sections,-such as'33/33, of the valve -shaft.

The'valveis'haft 'sections'connect and are integral with .valve "cages, the whole forming a valve shaft assembly.

This valve shaft assembly rotates betweenthe .block and cover. "The cages do .not contact the "walls of the spacesibut have a slight clearance. For .alffoalr-cycle .engine, the shaft .;is driven at one-half"crank shait'speed by suitable gearing, notshown.

' "Each valve cagerconslstsro'f a pair of discs con- I enclosing Iliscs.

central part of JFigs.;1 and .3 .is clesignatedcage Figfifi is a 'brokenlongituclinal sectional view *s'howingportions of the cylinderblock and valve =asserribly, beforeap'plyin'g 'thacover;

3 5g. "4 d -1asimilarview-showing the"cover*rev V nec'teil by a box like hollow cell such as '3 i. JEor theipurpose .of light weight, the various cellseare madefhollowwand the shaft sections tubular.

"20' simplify description,jthe valve cages hare des'ignateclibyca idualanun'iber, that of the two "-Thus .the cage-shown in the 35 36. These numbers valso designate the vrespective-jdiscs. Other .discs shown, or partially shown, 1 are numbered. 3 and .38.

Between the Idiscs of each; cage and outside of the cells'is a gas space or channel such as 39 .and 411. r

Oppcsitely disposed ports such as M and 42' are provided in the vertical walls of each combustion chamber and these ports are in register periodically with elongated openings, such as 43 in the discs that communicate with the'above mentioned gas channels in the cages. These channels, in turn, communicate with ducts such as 46 in the cylinder block. Thus, as the cages with their gas channels rotate, the inlet and ex haust gases pass to and from the combustion chambers in proper sequence. Each combustion chamber port is provided with a gas-tight packing'orseal'ring in slidingi contact with the adjacent disc. The discs and cylindrical Walls of the cages rotate in the block recesses with a slight clearance as above stated, to avoid friction, and the seal ringsare necessary to prevent the escape of gas around the cages;

spring pressure of the diaphragm maintains a gas-tight running contact of the ring with the disc.

A similar seal ring with its port 4| is located on the opposite wall of combustion chamber 2?. To more definitely follow the path of the gases through the valve structure, assume that the piston 2i is on its upward exhaust stroke in the cylinder 2|. The exhaust gas from the cylinder escapes through combustion chamber 2! and port 62 and opening 43 in disc 35 into the gas channel 40 and then on out through duct 44 in the block 20.

The angular relationship of the elongated open' ings in the various discs is such that the inlet and exhaust gases are admitted to and discharged from the cylinders at such periods as toinsure the correct timing of the engine.

Lubrication of the contact rings on the discs is accomplished with a series of porousoil pads located in recesses in the walls of the cover member. These pads are in running contact with the discs and are fed from a system of pipes that carry oil through the cover-from a suitable source.

The pads not only supply oil, but they distribute it over alarge surface of the discs in the path of the contact rings and in the exact minute quantities required. These pads may be made of sintered metal, carbon or any oil-impregnated porous bearing material.

The engine and its parts thus far described are similar to the showing in the above-mentioned pending patent application, Serial No. 787,354.

The present invention concerns the construe tion, assemblage and lubricating pads.

Each pad such as 50, made of solid metal. shell is spun or crimped operation of the porous is supported by a' shell The outer edge of this over the outer edge of' the porous pad, as shown. Both the pad and cylindrical portion or piston 53 that is free to slide in a longitudinal cylindrical opening 54 through the cover member. This opening is intercepted and crossed by an oil tube 55 that extends to the bearing 32. This oil tube 55 is connected to a cross tube 56 which in turn conmeets with a feeder tube 51 that runs the length of the cover and feeds similar tubes that carry oil to the other porous pads associated with the valve parts of the other cylinders of the engine.

. This feeder tube 51 is supplied from an oil pump,

not shown, driven by the engine in usual conventional manner.

'nular grooves 6! in the pistons. be stretched over the pistons and snapped into The structure is simple I operate as stops Lubricating oil under pressure enters the openingli l and flows through an oil hole 58 in the piston. 53 and into a reservoir 59 between the shell 5| and the pad 50. From there it seeps in minute quantities through the pad over the surface of the disc 35.

No springs are required to press the pads againstthe discs, the pressure being created by the oil in the openings 54. As this pressure is the same in all similar openings, the pressure of all theoil pads on all the discs of the engine will be uniform.

To assemble the engine parts, the valve shaft assembly is placed in the top of the engine cylinder block, as shown in Fig. 3. The shells conpads are back in their recesses and out of the way so asnot to interfere with easy assembling of the cover on the block.

T To prevent the escape of oil around the pistons 53 into recesses 52, annular elastic, resilient packing rings such as 60 are placed in an- These rings may their grooves. They are resistant to temperature and oil and form effective seals to prevent leakage of oil.

t will be seen thatthe shell and piston parts 5i and 53 with pad 50, may be readily slipped into place in the cover by hand without the use of tools. This is of importance considering their inaccessible location in the cover. They may also be readily drawn out by hand and this feature is also of advantage, since it would be im possible or difiicult to manipulate a pulling tpcl in such inaccessible location.

The use of tools of any kind in. assembling and disassembling these parts is not advisable because of the fragilenature of the porous pad material.

After the cover has been bolted to the block as above described, and the engine has been started, the oil pressure will build up back of the pistons and the porous pads be immediately pressed against the discs to begin functioning as oil distributors.- On release or'reduction of pressure when the engine'stops, the pistons carrying the pads will retract, relieving the valve discs of pres sure and automatically stopping any feed of oil. and rugged and the parts are few and can be produced and assembled at low cost. The hollow shell enlargements at the outer ends of the pistons, as shown in Fig. 4,1. may engageable with the walls at the back of the recesses 52 to limit the retractive movements of the pistons and hence keep them sumciently spaced apart for entry of oil between them.

What is claimed is:

1. In an engine having a cylinder block, a cover for said cylinder block and a valve shaft rotating between said block and cover and having valve discs in cooperative relation with the cylinders, said block and cover having cylindrical chambers in which the valve discs rotate, lubricating pads for said valve discs, pressure responsive means movably supporting said pads in the cover in position for engagement with and disengagement from the faces of said valve discs, the movement of the pads away from the valve discs being sufiicient to carry the lubricating faces of the pads below the surfaces defining the walls of the cylindrical valve chambers in the cover whereby said lubricating pads may be retracted below the valve chamber defining walls when the coveris applied to the block over the valve discs and means carried by the cover for applying fluid under pressure to said pressure responsive means for projecting the pads, when the cover is in place on the block, into lubricating engagement with the faces of the valve discs.

2. In an engine having a cylinder block, a removable cover and a valve shaft operating between said block and cover and carying valve discs cooperating with the cylinders in the block, said the outer ends of said pistons in opposition to the valve discs at the opposite ends of said bores, said pistons having retractive movement to' enable complete clearance of the lubricating pads from the valve discs and oil supply passages extending into the bores between the pistons to admit oil under pressure for forcing the pistons apart to carry the pads into engagement with the valve discs, said pistons having oil supply passages therethrough and the pads at the outer ends of the pistons being of porous structure to pass lubricant through the same to the faces of the valve discs.

I 4. In an engine having a cylinder block, a removable cover and a valve shaft operating between said block and cover and carrying valve discs cooperating with the cylinders in the block, said cover having cylinder bores therein parallel to the axis of the valve shaft and located between I valve discs of adjoining cylinders, oppositely operating pistons in said bores, lubricating pads at the outer ends of said pistons in opposition to the valve discs at the opposite ends of said bores, said pistons having retractive movement to enable complete clearance of the lubricating pads from the valve discs and oil supply passages extending into the bores between the pistons to admit oil cover having cylinder bores therein parallel to the axis of the valve shaft and located between valve discs of adjoining cylinders, oppositely operating pistons in said bores, lubricating pads at the outer ends of said pistons in opposition to the valve discs at the opposite ends of said bores, said pistons having retractive movement to enable complete clearanceof the lubricating pads from the valve discs and oil supply passages extending into the bores between the pistons to admit oil under pressure for forcing the pistons apart to carry the pads into engagement with the valve discs.

3. In an engine having a cylinder block, a re- 7 movable cover and a valve shaft operating between said block and cover and carrying valve discs cooperating with the cylinders in the block, said cover having cylinder bores therein parallel to the axis of the valve shaft and located between valve discs of adjoining cylinders, oppositely operating pistons in said bores, lubricating pads at under pressure for forcing the pistons apart to carry the pads into engagement with the valve discs, the cylinder block and cover having bearings for the valve shaft, said oil supply passages extending between the inner end of opposed pistons to said bearings and the inward movement of companion pistons in the same bore being limited to prevent said pistons from cutting off supply of oil in between said pistons and continuing said flow of oil to said valve shaft bearings.

ROBERT H. HASLER.

HARRY P. STEVENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 1,411,536 Strebel Apr. 4, 1922 1,593,988 Porter July 27, 1926 1,618,473 Porter Feb. 22, 1927 1,792,991 Lehman Feb. 17, 1931 1,942,155 Stevens Jan. 2, 1934 Hall May 18, 1943 

